Could Harry Lennix Be Martian Manhunter in Man Of Steel?

A surprisingly well-supported rumor is going around that Harry Lennix (Dollhouse) will actually be playing Martian Manhunter in the upcoming Man of Steel.

So far, we’ve had several comments from Zack Snyder and David Goyer confirming that Man of Steel will contain hints to the larger DC Universe. Add to that a rather convincing behind the scenes shot of Lennix (below), who is listed as playing General Swanwick, wearing a motion capture suit that looks a lot like the Manhunter’s signature outfit (and a green boot), and even I have to admit there is a strong case for believing Lennix will be revealed as the Martian Manhunter.

For those unfamiliar with the character, J’onn J’onzz is a Martian who becomes stranded on Earth and decides to use his Martian powers to become a superhero. He eventually went on to become a founding member of the Justice League. Lennix seems like a great choice to play the Manhunter, although given his history with Joss Whedon, I would have thought him more likely to show up in Avengers 2.

Aside from those bits of evidence, there is also the fact that Man of Steel seems to be placing a lot of focus on Clark’s alien ancestry. Everything from more scenes set on Krypton to the choice of Zod as the main antagonist points to a Superman that will be treated more like an alien than a hero, at least at first. If J’onn J’onzz is indeed hiding in plain sight on Earth, then it follows that he would want to put himself in a position where he could keep close tabs on how the world (read: America) treats aliens. Thus, it would make perfect sense for him to impersonate a general.

Extrapolating further, let’s consider what we might expect from a Justice League movie (if one ever happens). We know that Superman will be in it and more than likely the main antagonist will be of extraterrestrial origin as well. We’ve already dealt with aliens in Green Lantern (although whether that disaster will connect to the Justice League universe is unknown). Martian Manhunter is the last A-list member of the JLA with alien origins, so pushing a bit of his story into Man of Steel would allow Justice League to focus a bit more on the human heroes and might help keep it from feeling like a movie about one team of aliens fighting another team of aliens.

What do you think? Is Martian Manhunter one alien too many or are you excited by the idea of seeing him on the big screen? Or do you think the rumor doesn’t hold water and that the only aliens in Man of Steel will be Kryptonians? Sound off in the comments below!

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